A person is said to have aids when their immune system is too weak to fight off infection, and they develop certain defining symptoms and. The extraordinary potential of hiv prevention is exemplified by such diverse efforts as thailands 100 percent condom program, ugandas remarkable decrease in hiv prevalence, and the communitybased syndromic management of sexually. Hiv aids definition of hiv aids by medical dictionary. The 7th edition of the glossary includes concise definitions for. Aids definition, a disease of the immune system characterized by increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections, as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and candidiasis, to certain cancers, as kaposis sarcoma, and to neurological disorders. Aids stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a syndrome caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, with ensuing compromise of the bodys immune system. Hiv2, discovered in 1986, appears to be less virulent than hiv1 and may also have a longer latency period. Since the first cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
But access to effective prevention and treatment varies widely. Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome hivaids is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus hiv. Hiv is a member of the genus lentivirus, part of the family retroviridae. Typically, this is followed by a prolonged period with no symptoms. Glossary aidsinfo information on hivaids treatment.
It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with hiv, most commonly during unprotected sex sex without a condom or hiv medicine to prevent or treat hiv, or through sharing injection drug equipment. Hiv human immuno deficiency virus is a virus that enters blood. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome aids is a chronic, potentially lifethreatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus hiv. A case of hiv infection is defined as an individual with hiv. After a latent periodduring which hiv progresses to aids hiv aids, the viruss. Hiv is a virus spread through certain body fluids that attacks the bodys immune system, specifically the cd4 cells, often called t cells. Hiv case definitions are defined and harmonized with the clinical staging and immunological classifications to facilitate improved hivrelated surveillance, to better track the incidence, prevalence and treatment burden of hiv infection and to plan appropriate public health responses. Acute hiv infection, which causes very high plasma viral loads in the. The 7th edition of the aidsinfo glossary of hivaids related terms provides people living with hiv, their families and their friends, health care professionals, and students a guide to understanding this complex disease. In hiv positive people, the virus can be found in the blood, sex fluids such as sperm and vaginal fluids.
Aids is a serious condition that weakens the bodys. Hiv destroys the cd4 t lymphocytes cd4 cells of the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to lifethreatening infections and cancers. By damaging your immune system, hiv interferes with your bodys ability to fight the organisms that cause disease. The hivaids impacts on the health workforce and health systems are an added insult to the already fragile health systems in developing countries which are characterized by poor infrastructure, insufficient numbers of service providers, lack of drugs and commodities and frequently poor. Hiv cases diagnosed and not previously reported in each country should be reported according to a standard national case definition. Hiv tests are designed to detect antibodies to the hiv virus or the hiv virus itself the antibody tests are. Hiv human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other. Hiv is a virus that attacks cells in the immune system, which is our bodys natural defence against illness. Recent scientific advances have shown that antiretroviral therapy art not only preserves the health, quality of life, and life expectancy of people living with hiv, but people living with hiv who take hiv medicine as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have.
Hiv is spread mainly by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment such as needles with someone who has hiv. The abbreviation hiv can refer to the virus or to hiv infection. Surveillance of hiv risk behaviours world health organization. It harms your immune system by destroying the white blood cells that fight infection. The virus destroys a type of white blood cell in the immune system called a thelper cell, and makes copies of itself inside these cells. However, a growing number of interventions have shown promise in partially protecting against hiv transmission and acquisition, including knowledge of hiv serostatus, behavioral risk reduction, condoms, male circumcision, needle exchange, treatment of curable sexually transmitted infections, and use of. The hiv epidemic has shifted over the past 30 years, from the first reported cases in the early 1980s, to an estimated high of 3. Hiv is transmitted via blood, semen, and vaginal fluids and causes a range of symptoms that present soon after infection, including fever and mouth ulcers. Both types are transmitted through direct contact with hiv infected body fluids, such as blood, semen, and vaginal fluids, or from a mother who has hiv to her child during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or breastfeeding through breast milk. Hiv 1 aidsrelated virusarv, human immunodeficiency virus, human tcell lymphotrophic virus, type iiihtlviii, lymphadenopathyassociated viruslav the retrovirus intimately linked to aids skin in hiv see hiv dermatopathy diagnosis pcr, elisa to screen for anti hiv igm antibodies. Terms, definitions, and calculations used in cdc hiv. Human immunodeficiency virus hiv is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome aids.
Persons who are hiv positive require sensitive counseling, information regarding transmission of the virus, and. Hiv positive having a positive reaction on a test for the human immunodeficiency virus. Many may not know the difference between hiv and aids. Aids definition is a disease of the human immune system that is characterized cytologically especially by reduction in the numbers of cd4bearing helper t cells to 20 percent or less of normal thereby rendering the subject highly vulnerable to lifethreatening conditions such as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and to some such as kaposis sarcoma that become lifethreatening and that is. One of the retrovirus is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes aids retroviruses are so named because they carry their genetic information in the form of rna rather than dna so that the information must be transcribed in reverse direction from rna into dna. The following list of documents, mostly in pdf format, gives an overview of the most commonly used definitions. Many species are infected by lentiviruses, which are characteristically responsible for longduration illnesses with a long incubation period.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome aids definition. Fact sheets about hivaids treatment information, the prevention of motherto child transmission, and hiv treatment side effects. In this context, sexual contact is more than just sexual intercourse vaginal and anal and also includes kissing, and the use of sexual toys, such as vibrators. Aids stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The transfer spread of a disease or infection from person to person. Hiv diagnoses and stage 3 aids classifications hiv infection is classified as stage 3 aids when the immune system of a person infected with hiv becomes severely compromised measured by cd4 cell count and. Since 1982, many different definitions have been used for national and international reporting. Regional office for the eastern mediterranean, joint united nations programme on hiv aids p. In hiv positive people, the virus can be found in the blood, sex fluids such as sperm and vaginal fluids and breast milk. Aids were reported in the united states in 1981, surveillance case definitions for. Despite the rapid spread of hiv, several countries have achieved important success in curbing its transmission. Lentiviruses are transmitted as singlestranded, positivesense, enveloped rna viruses. Lentiviruses have many morphologies and biological properties in common.
Definitions for hiv epidemiology data epidemiology of. Aids and hiv case definitions overview of internationally used hivaids case definitions. Features include deficiency of certain types of leukocytes, especially t cells. The virus that causes aids, which is the most advanced stage of hiv infection. Who case definition for hiv infection to facilitate the reporting of hiv infection, who recommends the following. Hiv human immunodeficiency virus is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. An infection that can be transferred from one person to another through sexual contact. Over time, hiv can destroy so many of these cells that the body cant fight off infections and disease. A test for the human immunodeficiency virus, the cause of aids. Human immunodeficiency virus hiv the virus that causes aids, which is the most advanced stage of hiv infection. That means you cant catch hiv or aids by hugging, kissing, dancing or shaking hands with someone who has the infection. Human immunodeficiency virus hiv definition aidsinfo. Hiv stands for human immunodeficiency virus, which is the virus that causes hiv infection. A disease of the immune system due to infection with hiv.
Following initial infection a person may not notice any symptoms, or may experience a brief period of influenzalike illness. Revised surveillance case definition for hiv infection cdc. Hiv 1 abbreviation for human immunodeficiency virus 1. There are two main types of human immunodeficiency virus hiv 1 and hiv 2. Introduction to hiv, aids and sexually transmitted infection surveillance. The terms included in the glossary represent the vocabulary of hiv used in a variety of federal resources, including federally approved hiv aids medical practice guidelines and published results from hiv related research studies. Hiv can also be passed from mother to child during pregnancy, labor or delivery, or breastfeeding through breast milk. Introduction to hiv, aids and sexually transmitted. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome aids is the most advanced stage of hiv infection. Hiv case definitions are defined and harmonized with the clinical staging and immunological classifications to facilitate improved hivrelated surveillance, to better. On the basis of genetic characteristics and differences in the viral antigens, hiv is classified into the types 1 and 2 hiv 1, hiv 2.
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